This invention relates to a communication system adapted to monitor individual subscribers belonging to a class of people typically characterized as superannuated, disabled, sick and/or medically unstable. More particularly, the present invention relates to a communication system for monitoring such individual subscribers by establishing time-based periods for telephone link responses by the subscribers so as to provide an alert on behalf of a subscriber in the event of a detected failure of a subscriber to respond via a telephone link within the time-based period established for response.
There exists in today's society a segment of people ever increasing in size, which are not institutionalized or for other reasons do not receive a continuous systemic attention to their everyday well-being. Typically, for example, superannuated people with actual or potential health vulnerability live along in populated communities with a constant concern and a frequent fear that they will be suddenly strickened and remain unattended for days without life-saving attention. Such persons belong to a class of people that also includes the disabled, the sick and medically unstable that frequently live alone and where an assurance of alert to action will alleviate their fears as well as save suffering expense and even their lives. It will be understood, of course, that many such people do not require continuous periodic care of attention by trained or untrained personnel even if it were economically feasible to subscribe for such services.
This invention relates to a communication system that bridges such a gap in today's society for the class of residence as typified above, particularly in established population centers such as cities including rural communities.